Lagerstroemia plant named ‘Bellaggua’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of Lagerstroemia plant, referred to by its cultivar name, ‘Bellaggua’, is disclosed. The new variety forms attractive light pink colored flowers. Attractive, medium green colored foliage is formed. The growth habit is compact, low-mounded. The new variety is well suited for providing attractive ornamentation in the landscape.

Botanical/commercial classification:

Latin name: Lagerstroemia indica.

Varietal denomination: ‘Bellaggua’.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new variety of Lagerstroemia indica plant originated in a controlled breeding program in Earleville, Md. during Summer 2015. The objective of the breeding program was the development of a series of Lagerstroemia cultivars having abundant inflorescences with attractive flower coloration and compact growth habit. The new cultivar was created by open pollination. The female parent (i.e., the seed parent) was the ‘Twilight’ variety (non-patented). The male parent (i.e, the pollen parent) was unknown.

The parentage of the new variety can be summarized as follows: ‘Twilight’ x unknown variety

The new cultivar was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant from the progeny resulting from the above open pollination during Summer 2016 in a controlled environment in Earleville, Md. Selective study resulted in the identification of a single plant of the new variety.

It was found that the new variety of Lagerstroemia plant of the present invention:

-   -   (a) forms light pink colored flowers,     -   (b) displays medium green colored foliage, and     -   (c) exhibits a moderately vigorous, compact, low-mounded growth         habit.

The new variety well meets the needs of the horticultural industry. It can be grown to advantage as ornamentation in parks, gardens, public areas, and in residential settings. Accordingly, the plant is particularly well suited for growing in the landscape.

The new variety of the present invention can readily be distinguished from its ancestors. More specifically, the ‘Twilight’ variety (i.e., the seed parent) displays purple colored flowers, deep green colored foliage, and an upright growth habit, whereas the new variety provides light pink colored flowers, medium green colored foliage, and a compact, low-mounded growth habit. Moreover, the new variety can also be distinguished from other similar varieties that are commercially available. For instance, the new variety of the present invention can readily be distinguished from the ‘G2X133143’ variety (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,452), as the new cultivar displays more flowers per plant and a more compact and dense growth habit compared to the ‘G2X133143’ variety.

The new variety has been found to undergo asexual propagation by terminal stem cuttings. Asexual propagation by terminal stem cuttings in Cochranville, Pa. since August 2016 has shown that the characteristics of the new variety are stable and are strictly transmissible by such asexual propagation from one generation to another. Accordingly, the new variety undergoes asexual propagation in a true-to-type manner.

The new variety has been named ‘Bellaggua’.

The new variety was first offered for sale in the “SHRUBS VINES TREES EVERGREENS EDIBLES” 2021 Star® Roses and Plants Catalog, which was published on Feb. 23, 2020 by the inventor or by another who obtained the new variety directly or indirectly from the inventor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same, in a color illustration of this character, typical specimens of the plant and plant parts of the new variety. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed description, which accurately describes the colors of the ‘Bellaggua’ variety. The plants were approximately 20 weeks old from transplant and were grown in one-gallon containers for four months outside at Cochranville, Pa.

FIG. 1—illustrates a specimen of the plant displaying the overall growth and flowering habit—side view.

FIG. 2—illustrates a specimen of an individual inflorescence.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of the colors is that of The Royal Horticultural Society (R.H.S. Color Chart), 2015 edition, London, England. The terminology which precedes reference to the chart has been added to indicate the corresponding color in more common terms. The color values were determined in August 2020 under natural light conditions in Cochranville, Pa. The description is based on the observation of plants grown outside in one-gallon containers for four months under conditions comparable to those used in commercial nursery practice in Cochranville, Pa.

-   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—‘Twilight’ (non-patented).         -   Male parent.—Unknown. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 16 days on average.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Approximately 39 days on             average.         -   Root description.—Fibrous and fine; white to brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant:     -   -   Habit.—Multistemmed deciduous shrub, moderately vigorous,             low, mounding growth habit.         -   Commercial crop time.—Approximately 15 weeks from a rooted             cutting to finish in a one-gallon container on average.         -   Size.—Approximately 19.0 cm in height from soil level to top             of plant plane on average; and approximately 45.0 cm in             width on average. -   Foliage:     -   -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Form.—Simple.         -   Arrangement.—Subopposite to alternate. -   Leaves:     -   -   Shape.—General: ovate to elliptic. — margin: entire. — apex:             acute. — base: attenuate.         -   Venation.—Pattern: pinnate.         -   Size.—Length of mature leaf: approximately 3.0 cm on             average. — width of mature leaf: approximately 1.5 cm on             average.         -   Texture.—Upper and lower surfaces: glabrous.         -   Color.—Upper surface of mature foliage: commonly near Green             Group 137B, with venation commonly near Green Group 137D. —             lower surface of mature foliage: commonly near Green Group             138A with venation commonly near Green Group 138B. -   Flower:     -   -   Bud just before opening.—Shape: globose. — length:             approximately 5.0 mm on average. — diameter: approximately             6.0 mm on average. — color of petals: commonly near             Yellow-Green Group 144C.         -   Corolla.—Shape: rotate. — depth: approximately 1.5 cm on             average. — diameter: approximately 2.5 cm on average.         -   Petals.—Shape: ovate. — margin: crisped, undulating. — apex:             rounded. — base: truncate. — length: approximately 1.1 cm on             average. — width: approximately 1.3 cm on average. — texture             of upper and lower surfaces: glabrous. — color of upper and             lower surfaces: commonly near Red-Purple Group 68C.         -   Calyx.—Shape: round. — depth: approximately 8.0 mm on             average. — diameter: approximately 8.0 mm on average.         -   Sepals.—Length: approximately 6.0 mm on average. — width:             approximately 3.0 mm on average. — shape: triangular. —             apex: acute. — base: truncate. — margin: smooth, entire. —             upper surface: texture: glabrous. color: commonly near             Yellow-Green Group 144B. — lower surface: texture: glabrous.             color: commonly near Yellow-Green Group 144C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen: approximately 25 to             27 per flower, length is approximately 7.0 mm on average.             filament: color is commonly near Yellow Group 1D. anther:             shape is oblong, dorsifixed, length is approximately 1.0 mm             on average, and color is commonly near Yellow Group 13B.             pollen: amount is moderate and coloration is commonly near             Yellow Group 13B. — Gynoecium: pistil: commonly 1 per             flower, length is approximately 1.7 cm on average. stigma:             shape is rounded, color is commonly near Green Group 133A.             style: length is approximately 1.5 cm on average and             coloration is commonly near Red- Purple Group 59D. ovary:             length is approximately 1.5 mm on average and coloration is             commonly near Greyed-Orange Group 163D. — seed and fruit:             none have been observed to date. -   Development:     -   -   Flowering season.—Flowers in mid-summer through early fall.         -   Lastingness of individual inflorescence on the             plant.—Approximately 1 to 2 weeks on average.         -   Tolerance to disease and pest.—Not observed to date.         -   Hardiness zone.—USDA Zone 6b (−5° F.)

The new ‘Bellaggua’ variety has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotypic expression may vary somewhat with changes in light intensity and duration, cultural practices, and other environmental conditions. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lagerstroemia plant characterized by the following combination of characteristics: (a) forms light pink colored flowers, (b) displays medium green colored foliage, and (c) exhibits a moderately vigorous, compact, low-mounded growth habit; substantially as herein shown and described. 